A pre-startup control method for a boiler or water heater includes: providing a controller operatively coupled to a boiler or water heater unit; performing a unit shutdown operation; enabling a pre-start up mode; at about a same time or in any order, moving an air fuel valve by a controller to a non-off position with a gas supply to the water heater or boiler turned off, wherein the controller turns on a blower at an operational level, and causes an ignitor to spark; and displaying parameters which allow an affirmation of a safe and reliable ignition prior to a gas turn on of the boiler or water heater unit. A flow balancing method and a programmed auto run method are also described.

A motor controller for a blower in a gas-burning appliance. The motor controller includes a processor configured to receive a measured pressure differential measured by a sensor disposed in an airflow generated by the blower. The processor is configured to compute a motor speed based on the measured pressure differential and a pressure differential set-point for the gas-burning appliance. The processor is configured to operate the blower at the motor speed to drive the measured pressure differential toward the pressure differential set-point.

An afterburner system and method for reducing the CO.sub.2 and other pollutants produced by the combustion of a fuel in a combustion chamber while maintaining or increasing the efficiency of said combustion includes feeding a catalyst, preferably lithium and/or boron to the afterburner, or a preconditioning afterburner, along with the exhaust from the combustion chamber. The presence of the catalyst in the after burner results in further reduction of pollutants generated by the combustion in the combustion chamber.

A control system is provided for a modulated heating system including a plurality of modulating water heaters, which may be modulating boilers. A deadband control scheme provides for reduced cycling of the modulating heater when total system heat demand falls between the maximum output of one heater and the sum of the maximum output of that one point and the minimum firing point of the next subsequent heater. Condensation of flue gas products is prevented by monitoring flue exhaust temperature for each heater and controlling the modulation of each heater to maintain a minimum heater output sufficiently high to prevent condensation of flue gas products from that heater. Rapid reaction to changes in system heat demand is provided by sensing changes in flow rate in a primary loop of the system and anticipating resulting changes in temperature thus allowing for change in heater output prior to the time the change in flow rate has fully impacted system temperature.

Automated systems and methods are provided for continuous monitoring of the flaring of waste gas at an industrial facility, which employ an RGB camera operably coupled to a gateway device by a data communication interface. The RGB camera is configured to capture time-series color image frames of a flare and communicate the time-series color image frames to the gateway device. The gateway device includes an image processing module and a flare optimization module executing on the gateway device. The image processing module is configured to process the time-series color image frames to determine at least one flare parameter that provides a qualitative measurement of the combustion efficiency of the flare over time. The flare optimization module is configured to adjust relative amount of waste gas to at least one assist gas for the flare based on the at least one flare parameter to continuously optimize the combustion efficiency of the flare.

A control system is provided for a modulated heating system including a plurality of modulating water heaters, which may be modulating boilers. A deadband control scheme provides for reduced cycling of the modulating heater when total system heat demand falls between the maximum output of one heater and the sum of the maximum output of that one point and the minimum firing point of the next subsequent heater. Condensation of flue gas products is prevented by monitoring flue exhaust temperature for each heater and controlling the modulation of each heater to maintain a minimum heater output sufficiently high to prevent condensation of flue gas products from that heater. Rapid reaction to changes in system heat demand is provided by sensing changes in flow rate in a primary loop of the system and anticipating resulting changes in temperature thus allowing for change in heater output prior to the time the change in flow rate has fully impacted system temperature.

Systems and methods for monitoring emissions of a combusted gas are provided. The method includes determining a first net heating value of a flare gas. The method also includes determining a second net heating value of a combustion gas including the flare gas. The second net heating value can be determined based upon the first net heating value and a volumetric flow rate of the flare gas. Based upon the value of the second net heating value, an empirical model or a non-parametric machine learning model can be selected. A combustion efficiency of the combustion gas can be determined using the selected model, the second net heating value, and selected ones of the process conditions and the environmental conditions. Total emissions of the combustion mixture can be further determined from the combustion efficiency and a volumetric flow rate of the combustion gas.

An afterburner system and method for reducing the CO.sub.2 and other pollutants produced by the combustion of a fuel in a combustion chamber while maintaining or increasing the efficiency of said combustion includes feeding a catalyst, preferably lithium and/or boron to the afterburner, or a preconditioning afterburner, along with the exhaust from the combustion chamber. The presence of the catalyst in the after burner results in further reduction of pollutants generated by the combustion in the combustion chamber.

A process for reducing the CO.sub.2 and other pollutants produced by the combustion of a fuel in a combustion chamber while maintaining or increasing the efficiency of said combustion includes feeding to the combustion chamber, or preconditioning the combustion chamber, with a catalyst, preferably a lithium based salt. Monitoring the energy output and components of the exhaust gas stream to maintain optimum operation allows reduction, during the process, of the catalyst delivery and feed air. The presence of the catalyst results in increased efficiency of operation and reduction of pollutants generated.

A fluid heater comprises an enclosed combustion chamber, at least one burner operatively coupled to the enclosed combustion chamber and a heat transfer section. The heat transfer section has a first end operatively coupled to the enclosed combustion chamber, a second end, an outer wall defining a closed chamber therein, a fluid inlet port coupled to the outer wall in fluid communication with the chamber and a fluid outlet port coupled to the outer wall in fluid communication with the chamber. A plurality of tubes have an opened first end, an opposite opened second end and a chamber extending therebetween, wherein the plurality of tubes are mounted within the heat transfer section so that an outside wall of each of the plurality of tubes and an inside wall of the heat transfer section define the closed chamber. Each of the tube chambers are in fluid communication with the enclosed combustion chamber. A negative pressure source is operatively coupled to the heat transfer section second end and is in fluid communication with each of the plurality of tube chambers, where a continuous flow of hot fluid is produced at the heat transfer section fluid outlet port.